Tofu Chèvre

Before becoming vegan, fresh chèvre is what ignited my passion for cheese. That statement in and of itself is what got me my first job as a fromagier. Later on, my stepdaughter and I started experimenting with making our own chèvre, which we called “shoestring cheese,” because we hung the cheesecloth full of curdled milk (Yuck!) with a shoestring. The whole concept of consuming milk from another species thoroughly grosses me out now, but when I became vegan, I really thought I was going to miss my goat cheese.

It’s quite the opposite, in fact, and not only do I not miss it at all, but I don’t really even remember what it tastes like. So many other wonderful tastes and flavors have come into my life since becoming vegan (so much more than I “gave up”) that my tastebuds have replaced that memory. I’m fine with not remembering what it tastes like. When people say “This tastes nothing like ‘the real thing’,” I’m pretty thankful that it doesn’t! I am constantly impressed at how the natural flavors of plant-based foods can stand alone and taste (in my opinion) far superior to anything that comes from an animal.

I actually created this “chèvre” in an attempt to mimic a tofu goat cheese at one of my favorite restaurants, Madaleine Bistro. They make a Red Beet Tartare, which sits atop a tofu “goat cheese” crouton (which is actually flat and about 3 inches in diameter). As I said before, other flavors have replaced old memories of how things taste, and this tofu “goat cheese” not only replaced, but surpassed all memories of the flavor of goat cheese. I once asked my waitress if I could have one the size of a birthday cake, and she told me to come back on my birthday. I winked (no, I didn’t) and said “I’ll be seeing you in July.” Unfortunately, that waitress no longer works there and now I don’t know what I’m going to do for a birthday cake.

My first trials of this chèvre were more crouton-like, but it has beautifully evolved to this final product which I’m very happy with. It works well in many applications (stay tuned for more recipes!) and tastes incredible on its own (It’s okay for the chef to lick every one of her fingers clean, right?). It may not taste exactly like the “real thing,” but I’m more than satisfied with my tofu chèvre .

At least 1 day ahead, you need to press your tofu. The less moisture, the better it will turn out. My preferred method is to lay a clean kitchen towel on a plate and place the tofu on the kitchen towel. Cover the tofu with another clean kitchen towel, place a heavy book or pan on top of that, and then place 2-3 14oz. cans on top of that. Refrigerate overnight.

Once the tofu is sufficiently pressed, break it into pieces and place in the bowl of your food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until a smooth ball forms. If it isn't coming together, add olive oil by the 1/2 tsp. You will need to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a few times to fully incorporate all the ingredients.

Remove the tofu mixture and place it on a large piece of plastic wrap. Form it into a basic log shape, then wrap the plastic wrap around it. You can then roll the log and perfect its shape a little more. Place the log in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3-4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with lightly vegan non-stick spray (optional). Remove the log from the plastic wrap and place on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when the log is slightly tan on the outside, but still creamy. Place baking sheet on a cooling rack and let it cool. If not using immediately, store the log in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It will last about 3 days. Enjoy!

3.1

Stay tuned for more recipes involving this delicious chèvre (UPDATED 5/9/12: recipes like this, this, or this!). It’s time to replace some of those tastebud memories!

Your tofu chevré looks absolutely beautiful! I can’t wait to try this one. We don’t do it that often, but my husband and I enjoy having a dinner of nibbles with a variety of finger foods. This would fit wonderfully.

I agree that when I’m eating plant-based cheeses or meats, I don’t need or want them to taste exactly like the animal-based version. It can be handy as a frame of reference to say, oh, this is chicken-style seitan or apple sage sausages since it gives people an idea of the style of food or what spices or flavors might pair with it. I enjoy all kinds of plant-based foods, and it’s not because they’re perfectly mimicking animal-based foods. I like them because of what they bring on their own.

I’m sure you could find many other amazing things at Madeleine Bistro once your birthday comes around! They had talked for a while about changing locations. Do you know if there’s been any movement on that? And hey, I’m a July baby too! Are you a Cancer or a Leo?

The chevre would be perfect for a plate of nibbles! It would be great, spread on a little crostini. Mmmm…

I am never disappointed at Madaleine Bistro. I don’t know that they are still talking about changing locations, but they are in the early planning stages of opening an ice cream shop. They gave us free samples of various ice creams the last time we were there- 2 were homeruns, the other 2 still need work (in case you were wondering).

Why am I not surprised that we were born the same month? I am a cancer (7/1). How about you?

That’s interesting that they’re thinking of adding an ice cream shop. They’re in such a strange area. It would seem like moving to an area that gets more foot traffic would be a boon to business, especially for an ice cream shop.

The first is a good day for me too! That’s my wedding anniversary. I’m a Leo. July 26th.

I think there was mention of the ice cream shop being in Westwood, but I do agree- Tarzana is a weird location for their restaurant, and they’re only open for dinner on Saturday/Sunday, and brunch on Sunday. They must do a lot of catering because I really don’t know how it stays open (I am sooo glad it does, though!).

What a coinkydink! And our anniversary is a week later, on the 7th. Crazy, crazy, crazy world!

Wow – can’t believe you were able to create a vegan version of goat cheese. Fascinating. I have not gone 100% dairy free but have basically eliminated all cheese products from my diet and really am excited to try this recipe !

Love that crumbly texture. i have a similar taste process too.. i dislike some of the non vegan tastes now. i’d rather make it taste fresher, and tastier and just similar enough to not make much of difference to others.
This looks perfect!

Thank you! Now I have 2 things to try: Almond Feta and the Seabirds Truck. I feel like Seabirds is one of those LA vegan things you need to try, right up there with Flore or Madaleine Bistro, but we’ve never ended up in the same place at the same time. I need to track them down!

Oh my … I tried this and it was sooo good. No wait.. it was the greatest fantabulous awesomeness that I ever conjure in my kitchen. And I’m not even a vegan, or a vegetarian even(am on my way tho, 90 percent there)! Ever since we moved to Indonesia, exotic cheeses like goat cheese has become an unaffordable luxury. But tofu is a dime a dozen over here. So I thought maybe I’d try to look for tofu-based “cheese” recipe online, and found yours. Oh Lordy… I am seriously considering a drastic change to adopting vegan lifestyle after a bite of these! I substituted tahini with mirin, and white miso with tauco (miso’s chunkier, browner cousin, easily found at local traditional markets here), and it still tasted out of this world. I owe you my life for opening the door to such dining ecstasy.

Oh my goodness! What a wonderful message to wake up to find! Felicia, you have just made my day! I am so glad you liked the tofu chevre and I’m even happier you took the time to let me know that you liked it. You are just so sweet, Felicia!

I have not tried freezing it, but I’ve kept it for longer than 3 days before. I’ve kept it up to 5 days, but it rarely lasts that long. One recipe doesn’t make a ton so if you add it to sandwiches or top some salads with it, you’ll probably go through it pretty quickly too.

I am always a little suspicious with vegan imitations of non vegan food, but this recipe is a great exception of mock goat cheese! The taste and texture are very interesting, if a little too salted compaired to the real thing. So delicious in a beets salad and over spaghetti squash!

The recipe makes a huge quantity, so I will have to try freezing some.